Chair



Oct. 29, 1935. J, c so 2,019,005

CHAIR Filed July 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Shet 1 W1??? eases In men f0 7* WJulius E Eric/5022 @MM .ing a childs chair, in

Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES FATN'i OFFIQE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to chairs of the collapsible or folding type; andmore especially to small chairs for children, though not limitedthereto.

The main objects of the invention are to provide an improved form ofchair of the folding type which is simple in construction and operation;to provide an arm chair of the class described which may be foldedcompactly, in substantially flat form; to provide such a chair having aremovable tray, storable within the chair when folded; to provide afoldable brace chair of the class described which cannot tip overbackwardly; to provide a chair of the class described having inwardlyfoldable arm rests to provide a structural design for chairs adapted forcompact and stable stacking one upon another when folded; and to providea device of the class described which is inexpensive to manufacture, andwhich may be made from various readily available materials and withmoderately skilled labor.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings representwhich drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the chair in operative or openposition.

Fig. 2 is a front to back sectional view of the chair taken through thecenter of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the chair in folded or closed position.

Fig. 4 is a front in open or operative position; away at the left.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the chair in closed or folded storage andstacking form or position, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, with braceomitted.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the chair comprises mainly a backI, sides 2 and 3, and a seat 4.

The back I is recessed and comprises a series of wooden cross panels 5which are secured to the forwardly disposed edge frame posts or flanges6 and l. The sides 2 and 3 are secured to the posts I and 6 respectivelyby pairs of hinges 8 and 9. The outer upper front corner edges l0 and Hof the sides 2 and 3 are rounded off as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

It will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 that the upper parts of sides 2and 3 are adapted to serve as a pair of arms 2 and 3.

A tray l2 spaced above seat 4 is demountably secured to the sides 2 and3 by means of a pair of two-arm hinges l3 mounted rearwardly on thelower end edges of the tray, and which are formed with arms I4 ofspecial design to be inserted elevational view of the chair parts beingbroken downwardly in pairs of socket forming brackets l5 secured to theinner faces of the sides 2 and 3 at their forward upper corners adjacentto the rounded edges Ii! and H, as shown on Fig. 2.

The seat 4 is secured by hinges It at its rear marginal edge to andadjacent the upper inner marginal edge of the lower panel 5 of the backI, and is foldable upwardly against back I. The front part of the seat 4which, made of laminated wood or the like, is provided with integraloutwardly projecting U-shaped guide flanges H and G8 which rest onupwardly facing stop portions l9 and 20 respectively of the sides 2 and3 when the seat is in its lowered or operative position. See Figs. 1 and3.

The lower side of seat 4 is provided with a pair of spaced brackets 2!about half way back, and a spring clip 22 at the front edge so that thetray 52 may be stored away under the seat 4 and held there in positionby said brackets and clip when 20 the tray is not in use or when thechair is in folded position. See Figs. 2 and 3.

Secured to the back l, whenever great stability is desired, is arectangular anti-tilting brace 23, which comprises a pair of footmitered side bars 24 and two stiifening bars 25 and 26. The upper endsof said bars 23 are pivotally secured to the outer .side face parts ofthe back flange posts or wings 6 and 1 near their rear edges, by anysuitable means 21, such as screws, bolts, etc.

The brace opens outwardly away from the back of the chair to prevent thechair from tipping over backwardly; and this outward movement is limitedby a toggle jointed link 23. Generally this brace is preferably omitted.

It is to be noted that the side-arm hinges 8 and 9 are mounted on theinner sides of the back edge-posts or flanges B and 1 respectively andare also secured to the outer sides of the respective side members 3 and2 (see Figs. 1 and 6) in such manner as to swing the sides 3 and 2 intofolded position wholly between the bars 6 and 1 whenever the chair isfolded. This is effected by attaching hinge 9 well back from the frontedge face 1' of flange I to accommodate a rearward position of side 2.And hinge 8 is located also back of the front edge face 6 of flange 6,but not so far back as the hinges on flange I, so as thus to positionthe side 3 in front of side 2, when folded, but still back of the faceplane of flange edge faces 6 and 1.

The flanges 6 and l are rectangular in cross section, so that theirfront edge faces 6 and 1 and also their corresponding back edge faces 6"and 1"are parallel with the general plane of the back I and of thefolded chair as a whole.

Hence when a plurality of such chairs are placed horizontally as in Fig.6 and stacked gravitationally one upon another, the weight will all beon their horizontal edge faces 6', 6", 1' and 1",

of the flanges 6 and 1.

For operation, assuming that the chair is in open or use position, as inFig. 1, the tray is relifting it upwardly and bending the hinge arms l4inwardly to lie against the lower face of the tray. The tray may then bestored away by placing it in the brackets on the under side of the seat.The seat is then swung upwardly and backwardly to lie against the frontface of the back I. The side 2 is then folded inwardly against the seatand the other side 3 is then folded inwardly against the side 2. If theanti-tilting frame or brace 23 has been used it is moved toward theback. The chair is now folded in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

It will be apparent that when the chair has been folded, especially whenthe brace 23 is omitted, the various elements will be disposed entirelybetween the forwardly disposed housing flanges or side posts 5 and 7 ofthe back. See Fig. 5. A group of chairs when thus folded may be closelystored face to face either on edge or stack-wise, one upon another, asmay be preferred.

If the chair is to be opened from this closed position the sides 2 and 3are swung outwardly and the seat swung downwardly from between theflange posts 6 and 1. The seat will be guided in its downward movementby the U-shaped flanges l1 and I8 which slide along the rounded offportions of the sides and finally come to rest on the stops l9 and ofthe sides.

The anti-tilting device may or may not be used, and this is left to thediscretion of the operator, but if it is to be used, the lower portionof the device is swung outwardly until the toggle jointed link 28prevents further movement, and the toggle prevents accidental folding.If the tray is to be used the spring clip is sprung outwardly, allowingthe tray to be removed from the brackets 2 I. The hinge arms M are thenopened at right angles to the tray and inserted in the brackets I5 onthe sides.

It is to be understood that some of the details set forth may be alteredor omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention asdefined by that although the invention is here exemplified by a childschair, the invention or important features thereof may be employed inchairs for adults, as, for instance it may be used in cafeterias, workshops, and school rooms, etc. It is especially adapted for use innurseries and lower kindergarten grades. Owing largely to the fulllength rigid side flanges 6 and 1, the folded chairs are peculiarlyfitted for stacking horizontally one upon another to any desired heightwithin practical convenience for a person standing on the floor, thesaid flanges being vertically alined and carrying all of the weight, aswill be understood.

I claim:

1. A foldable arm chair comprising a recessed back, sides, tray, and aseat, said seat and sides being hingedly secured to said-back and havingcoactive supporting means at their forward edges on each siderespectively, said seat being foldable adjacent said back, one of saidsides being foldable adjacent the back part of said seat and the otherof said sides being foldable adjacent the first-mentioned side, the saidone of said sides being hinged at its rear edge to the inner face andsomewhat back from the corresponding edge of one of the forwardlydisposed flanges of said recessed back, and the said other of said sidesbeing hinged at its rear edge to the inner face and at the oppositeother edge of the other flange of said recessed back, said tray havinghinged supporting arms at its ends to engage said sides, which sideshave means to receive said arms, and said' tray being secured to andflat adjacent the upper front portion of said seat when in foldedposition above the folded sides, all arranged to be folded compactlyinto the recess in said back, and said seat on its underside having lugsto engage said tray.

An arm chair comprising a recessed back, sides, tray and a seat, saidback being substantially planar excepting it is provided with similarforward side flanges, said seat and sides being hingedly secured to saidback and said flanges respectively, said seat being hinged at its rearedge to be folded directly adjacent said back, one of said sides beinghinged at its rear edge to the inner face and back from the front edgeof one of said flanges to fold adjacent said seat and the other of saidsides being hinged at its rear edge to the inner face and at the frontedge of the other of said flanges to be folded adjacent thefirst-mentioned side, said seat and sides having correlated stop meanson their forward end parts to arrest and support the seat in ahorizontal position when the chair is unfolded, and said tray havinghinged supporting arms at its ends to engage said sides, which sideshave means to receive said arms, and said tray being secured to and flatadjacent the upper front portion of said seat when in folded positionabove the folded sides, all arranged to be folded compactly into therecess in said back, and said seat on its underside having lugs toengage said tray.

JULIUS E. ERICKSON.

